Question: My child hates bitter medicine. How do I make him drink it?Answer: Most Chinese herbal medications are dispensed in powdered form. The best way to take it is to dissolve it in some warm water, but you can also mix it with undiluted honey, syrup drinks, milk or porridge, says Min. She adds that it’s a misconception that all Chinese herbal medications are bitter. “But it’s certainly a taste that one has to get used to. It’s also a matter of habit,” says Min. “If your kid is exposed to the taste from young, he’s likely to be able to accept it quite easily.”

Question: My kid is still coughing despite seeing the doctor two weeks ago. Should I try TCM next?Answer: Why not? Besides prolonged cough, you can also consider tui na or Chinese medicine for conditions like flu, sensitive nose, constipation, stomach ache, fussy eating and poor appetite, says Min. She adds that Chinese medicine can go hand-in-hand with Western medication, but be sure to have a two-hour gap between consuming them.

Question: What about high fever or food poisoning?Answer: You should still go to a doctor if your child comes down with such conditions that require urgent medical attention, the experts advise. TCM can, however, be helpful for recurring low-grade fever.

Question: When can I start my child on TCM?Answer: While most of her young patients are between the ages of one and seven years, Min says she has treated babies as young as one month old. Miao Meng, a consultant TCM physician at Raffles Chinese Medicine, shares that babies and young tots can turn to such medicine to treat common childhood ailments like fever, colds and runny nose. But you should never feed your kid any herbal medication without consulting a licensed practitioner first. And always stick to the recommended dosage. Babies and young children have a different body constitution from adults, so the selection and prescription dosage of medication would be in smaller amounts, too, explains Meng.

Question: How do I choose a TCM physician for kids?Answer: Like Western doctors, TCM physicians each have their own specialisation. Li Hua suggests doing your own research to find out which practitioner is experienced in treating paediatric conditions.

But first things first: Always choose a registered member from the Traditional Chinese Medicine Practitioners Board (TCMPB), she says. According to the Ministry of Health (MOH) website, anyone who wishes to practise TCM in Singapore must be registered with TCMPB and hold a valid practicing certificate issued by it. The TCMPB is a statutory board under MOH. It maintains the Register of TCM Practitioners in Singapore, accredits TCM schools and courses, and regulates the professional conduct and ethics of registered TCM practitioners.

Question: Besides taking supplement pills, how can I boost my little one’s immunity?Answer: According to Min, paediatric tui na, which is suitable even for babies, helps to improve a child’s overall health by strengthening the immune system. For kids, the gentle and non-invasive session typically lasts about 30 minutes or less each, depending on age and condition. “Regular tui na can help your child feel less lethargic and improve his appetite,” she says. This, in turn, gets him to eat more, and also be more adventurous with food choices.

Question: Is acupuncture safe for kids?Answer: It is. But chances are, your child would probably start fidgeting or bawling even before the physician sticks a needle into his acupoint. That’s why most TCM practitioners would prefer not to treat kids with acupuncture, says Min. However, older kids aged four and above suffering from myopia may benefit from such treatment, says Meng. As acupuncture is slightly painful, the physician will start off by applying less pressure for patients undergoing it for the first time.

“This helps the child to become familiar with the treatment and sensations. We don’t use numbing cream. In subsequent treatments, we’ll apply more pressure,” says Meng, adding that parents can help to distract the kids with toys and storytelling.

Question: Is it true that acupuncture can improve my kid’s eyesight?Answer: In TCM, myopia is believed to be related to the poor function of organs and blood circulation around the eye meridian, explains Meng. “As the condition is closely linked to the kidney and liver, acupuncture can help improve the condition in certain cases,” she says.

But the TCM experts added that results vary with each child. “Factors like whether the myopia is heredity and lifestyle changes play a part. For instance, good reading and writing posture, and how frequently the child is on the computer or any electronic device will make a difference to the treatment,” says Min.

]]>How to strengthen your child’s attention spanhttps://www.youngparents.com.sg/development/strengthen-childs-attention-span/
Fri, 22 Feb 2019 02:00:00 +0000https://www.youngparents.com.sg/development/strengthen-childs-attention-span/The typical preschooler is on the go the whole time, rarely settling quietly at the same activity for more than a few minutes. Try removing distractions to increase his attention span.

]]>The typical preschooler is on the go all the time, so how do you go about to strengthen your child’s attention span? Our expert suggests these strategies.

The typical preschooler is on the go the whole time, rarely settling quietly at the same activity for more than a few minutes. With limited attention, he flits from one toy to the next. It’s almost as though he has so much energy that he can only concentrate on a toy or game for a very limited amount of time.

Don’t get frustrated about this, because your child’s attention span is often weak at this age. That’s normal. You’ll notice that his concentration skills spontaneously change during the preschool years, in the following ways:

From passive to active

Whereas a new baby looks at something only when it captures his attention by moving across his field of vision, an older child actively searches and explores. His attention becomes more dynamic and controlled.

From unsystematic to systematic discovery

Watch a young baby pick up and examine, say, a rattle. You’ll notice that he does this in a very haphazard way, and will only look at one or two sections of it. However, an older child explores an object more systematically.

From broad to selective attention

A young baby can’t filter out information very well. An older child is more able to focus his attention on one aspect, for instance, he sees the flashing light at the pelican crossing, despite other objects in his visual field.

From short to long His ability to keep his attention on one item, while easily blocking out all other competing sights and sounds, steadily improves. An older child concentrates for longer than a young baby.

BUILDING HIS ATTENTION

One of the most effective ways to help increase your child’s attention span is to remove distractions. He is less likely to concentrate for long when, for example, there is music playing in the background. Make his surroundings as distraction-free as possible when trying to keep his attention.

For instance, there is no point in asking him to tidy his toys when his eyes are already glued to the television set. Although he’ll nod in agreement, he has not really absorbed what you have told him. Instead, mute the sound or switch the TV off altogether before speaking to him. And don’t expect him to play with a jigsaw for long if he is surrounded by other competing items, such as building blocks, play figures, or construction toys.

There are other ways to improve his attention. For example, once you have given your child an instruction, check out his understanding by asking him to repeat it back to you. He’ll probably be irritated by this request but make it anyway. Getting him to tell you what you just told him is one of the best ways to check his level of attention and understanding. Plus, it also helps his memory. Should he not be able to repeat the instruction accurately, simply tell him again. Repeat this process until you are sure he has listened accurately.

Some children have a very short attention span, compared to other children the same age. A useful way of extending a child’s attention span is to give your child a short activity (for instance, playing with crayons), and time how long he persists with this until his attention wanders (say, one minute). The next night, let him play with the crayons again. But this time, encourage him to persist with the activity for a few seconds longer, and give him lots of praise when he achieves this. Then, gradually increase the amount of time each night, until his attention span is longer.

]]>Singapore exam changes in 2019: What parents must knowhttps://www.youngparents.com.sg/education/singapore-exam-changes-in-2019-what-parents-must-know/
Fri, 22 Feb 2019 01:00:36 +0000https://www.youngparents.com.sg/?p=51507Singapore’s Ministry of Education (MOE) announced sweeping changes to the exam system on Sept 28 last year. Many of the exam changes take effect in 2019. The aim of the exam changes: To reduce the focus on exams and allow kids to love learning, for life. Here’s what Singapore parents must know about the exam […]

No exams for kids in Primary 1 and 2

According to The Straits Times, MOE previously did away with exams in Primary 1, but students were graded using informal assessments. Primary 2 students had one exam at the end of the year.

From 2019, Primary 1 and 2 students will have no exams. Teachers will use bite-sized assessments such as discussions, homework and quizzes, to measure how much kids have learnt, but these are not graded.

This will happen over three years, starting with no mid-year exams for Sec 1 kids from 2019.

MOE said in a statement: “Primary Three, Primary Five, Secondary One and Secondary Three are transition years, during which students will be exposed to new subjects and/or higher content rigour and expectations.

“We want to provide them with adequate time and space to adjust to the increased curriculum demands. Hence, the mid-year examinations for these levels will also be removed over the next three years, starting with the removal of mid-year examinations at Sec One in 2019.”

Report books will change

From 2019, report books will not state a student’s class and level ranking, so kids will focus on their own learning rather than the competition.

Primary 1 and 2: Teachers will use “qualitative descriptors” to report how students have learnt.

Other levels: Marks will be rounded off and as whole numbers to reduce excessive focus on marks.

You will no longer see these in your child’s report books from 2019:

– Class and level mean

– Minimum and maximum marks

– Underlining and/or colouring of failing marks

– Pass/fail for end-of-year result

– Mean subject grades

– Overall total marks

– L1R5, L1R4, EMB3 and EMB1 for lower secondary levels

Edusave awards criteria will change

As Primary 1 and 2 kids won’t be graded, the Edusave awards will recognise students’ attitudes to learning, such as diligence, curiosity, collaboration and enthusiasm.

The exam changes will free up curriculum time

Eduation Minister Ong Ye Kung said the changes will free up about three weeks of curriculum time every two years. He urged educators to use the time well to use applied and inquiry-based learning.

For example, to calculate area, kids can be given a formula. Alternatively, they can asked to brainstorm how they can find out the size of their school field and even brought down to the school field to measure it for themselves.

Minister Ong said the move re-balances two trade-offs in education – between maintaining rigour and inculcating the joy of learning.

]]>Peter Yu on ex-wife Quan Yifeng and daughter Eleanor Lee: We decided not to keep in touchhttps://www.youngparents.com.sg/family/peter-yu-quan-yifeng-eleanor-lee/
Thu, 21 Feb 2019 08:09:24 +0000https://www.youngparents.com.sg/?p=57891Actor Peter Yu, 51, has had a tumultuous past and one which he has discussed openly with the media. He had a 10-year marriage to television host Quan Yifeng that ended in a high profile divorce in 2008. After which, he fell into depression and got hooked on gambling; racking up a debt of more […]

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Actor Peter Yu, 51, has had a tumultuous past and one which he has discussed openly with the media.

He had a 10-year marriage to television host Quan Yifeng that ended in a high profile divorce in 2008. After which, he fell into depression and got hooked on gambling; racking up a debt of more than $100,000.

Yet, his ex-wife and 19-year-old daughter Eleanor Lee (she took the surname of her godfather, celebrity hairstylist Addy Lee) aren’t reaching out with congratulations and pats on the back because they have decided to part ways amicably.

“We met once a few years ago, gave each other our blessings, and decided not to keep in contact,” Peter revealed to AsiaOne in an interview as part of the press tour to promote the film.

In fact, he has not even been following Eleanor’s burgeoning career in China as an actress, artist and singer.

Despite this development, Peter isn’t letting it hold him down and is “enjoying (his) life” with his new family. He married sales merchandiser Brenda Leow in 2011 and is the proud father of two sons – Israel and Christian – aged two and six respectively.

Speaking on fatherhood, Peter said: “I enjoy my life now and I enjoy watching my sons grow up. In the past, I didn’t know how to be a good husband and father but now, I’m a different person and I see life differently.”

What then, is the key to being a good father?

For Peter, it stems from his faith. A devout Christian, Peter explained that his religion changed him for the better, gave him a deeper understanding of life and allowed him to manage his priorities more effectively.

Throughout the interview, Peter was calm, composed and radiated a zen-like vibe akin to one who has seen much and possesses wisdom far beyond his years.

This is a far cry from Lok, the jaded police investigator that he plays onscreen, who suffers from insomnia and at times, comes across scattered, restless, and seemingly lives in a world of his own.

That realisation wasn’t lost on Peter who pointed out their contrasting personalities, though he had a different take on it.

“Lok is a totally different character from me. Lok is very moody and lonely but I’m very cheerful and I like to laugh and joke around. Lok also cannot sleep but I love to sleep and I don’t have enough time to sleep,” he said with a chuckle.

While it was a challenge to play such a character, Peter said that he accepted the opportunity to star in the feature film because he likes to challenge himself and wanted to try it out.

As someone who loves to sleep though, did he intentionally avoid sleeping to better inhabit the role of someone who suffers from insomnia?

“There were a lot of overnight shoots and it was so tiring and I didn’t have enough sleep so it was really suitable for the character,” he replied without missing a beat.

He quipped: “I didn’t even need makeup for the eye bags.”

In addition to being the first feature film for Peter, A Land Imagined also marks the first time the actor is baring his butt for the camera.

Nude scenes are certainly unconventional and could even come across risque, but Peter explained that he had a discussion with director Yeo Siew Hua on his intentions and the scene “made sense to (him)” after.

The scene was meant to humanise Lok by having him partake in a behaviour that Peter believes almost everyone, regardless of age, must have done so at one point

Secondly, the stripping of his boxer shorts was also meant to be a metaphor for the weary police investigator letting go of his emotional baggage as a way to decompress.

Peter added: “I believe that this has happened to most people where they find themselves alone at home, and they want to do something funny, and decide to take off their clothes and walk around naked.

“What we’re trying to do is to bring a slice of reality to the screen. To me, it makes sense.”

Ultimately though, Peter hopes that viewers will not place too much emphasis on that scene.

“I always tell people to please focus on the movie instead,” he said in mock exasperation.

Regardless, Peter felt that it was an exciting experience to be able to participate in such a large-scale project. Moving forward, he has no idea what the future holds for his career but he hopes to act in more films.

One thing is for sure though, Peter has been bitten again by the acting bug and he can be next seen in a supporting role in a Channel 5 series that will be an adaptation of Dick Lee’s musical Fried Rice Paradise.

Filming will begin in March in Kuala Lumpur and the show is slated to air on Channel 5 and Toggle in July.

And yes, the dialogue will be in English, which could prove to be tricky for the actor who has only ever played Mandarin-speaking roles.

Yet, he is not fazed by it.

“Thankfully, I play a character that is always drunk so he has fewer lines,” he laughed.

]]>Raise a confident child in 10 stepshttps://www.youngparents.com.sg/development/raise-a-confident-child/
Wed, 20 Feb 2019 16:00:42 +0000https://www.youngparents.com.sg/development/raise-a-confident-child/Kids do not miraculously grow up confident and well-spoken. Help him out with these steps.

]]>How can you do your bit to raise a confident child who’s also well-spoken? He does not miraculously transform by his own will, no, you have a role to play.

1. Believe in him A great deal of your child’s self-confidence stems from self-belief, which in turn stems from the belief you have in your child – what you think of him, how much you value him, and how secure he feels in his relationships.

2. Encourage social skillsSocial skills such as taking turns, sharing and following rules don’t come naturally to most children. These are essential skills that usually have to be learned through parental guidance and experience. As well as teaching him these at home, he acquires them spontaneously through mixing with his peers.

3. Explain mannersChildren who are polite and who recognise the rights of others typically cope very well in social situations with both children and adults. Explain to your child the importance of politeness, such as saying “please” and “thank you” at the appropriate times. He’ll soon start to notice the effect of good manners himself.

4. Involve him in family discussions For example, during mealtimes or when you are all together in the evening, these are good chances for him to learn how to take part in conversations, and contribute his ideas calmly and clearly. He’ll soon be able to transfer these skills to non-family discussions.

5. Praise successWhen you child presents well in front of others, let him know how delighted you are that he spoke so confidently. He thrives on your praise, and he’ll try hard to achieve the same effect the next time round.

6. Take note of body languageThe way your child stands, holds his hands, and makes eye-contact with the person he speaks to is another component of social confidence. Suggest to him that he always looks at the other speaker, he faces them square-on, smiles, and stands upright.

7. Ask his opinion He may be young, but your child does have ideas of his own about most things. Asking him to tell you what he thinks gets him used to sharing his thoughts with others. The more he does this with you, the easier it becomes for him to chat confidently and smoothly with others.

8. Make small talkFor some kids, the most difficult part of any social encounter is the first few moments with another party, when he just can’t think of anything to say. You can increase his confidence by giving him ideas for “small talk”, such as asking the other child what her favourite toy is or what songs she likes.

9. Give him speech guidelinesIt’s not enough to tell your child how he shouldn’t speak. You also need to explain the style and type of language he should use. For example, point out that he should talk slowly and clearly, use full sentences rather than phrases, and listen to the other person’s comments, too.

10. Set a good example yourselfHe watches you closely and learns from you. So if you are socially confident and well-spoken, this provides a role model for him to copy in his own social interactions. Be prepared to answer any questions he might ask about what you said or the way you stood – that’s part of the process.

]]>5 kid-friendly places to do rock climbing in Singaporehttps://www.youngparents.com.sg/family/5-kid-friendly-places-do-rock-climbing-singapore/
Wed, 20 Feb 2019 02:34:43 +0000Rock climbing is taking off with more children getting into the sport and facilities springing up to meet the demand.

Clip ‘n Climb

There are 17 wall designs in the 260 sq m facility. They include the snaking beanstalk from fairy tale Jack And The Beanstalk, a lightning bolt and Morse code-inspired one.

Some of the climbing structures do not resemble walls – one is in the shape of a skinny tree trunk, while another looks like a twisted DNA strand made out of colourful blocks.

Clip ‘n Climb, from New Zealand, is a particularly fun introduction to climbing for children and beginners. It uses an uncomplicated auto-belay system (that eliminates the need for a human belayer) is used for each 8m-high wall. Climbers need to undergo only a short safety briefing before they are good to go. Watch our video here.

There is no minimum age for climbers, they just need to weigh between 10 and 150kg.

Seasoned climbers can look out for walls which are labelled as more difficult or try a harder route.

Kinetics Climbing

Nestled in a shophouse in Serangoon Road, Kinetics Climbing is a cosy bouldering space.

Most of the 2,000 sq ft space is dedicated to bouldering walls that range in difficulty from beginner to advanced. To keep things fresh, the routes are changed twice a month.

There is also a small area for top-rope climbing and training.

Managing director Jay Koh likens bouldering to a sprint and top-rope or lead climbing to a marathon. “Bouldering builds strength and power, while top-rope builds endurance. They complement each other.”

With no need for certification, anyone can try bouldering. Children have to be at least four years old.

There are beginner’s courses on bouldering for those who want a more structured understanding of the sport. Or, you can book7 private coaching sessions and Singapore National Climbing Standards Level 1 certification courses.

Safra Adventure Sports Centre

Home to a wide variety of sports, Safra Adventure Sports Centre is one of the few places with outdoor climbing walls.

Climbers who prefer to scale outdoors can pick from three types of sport climbing walls that are 15m, 18m and 25m high.

There is also a two-storey, 100 sq m indoor bouldering gym if it gets too hot.

A Singapore National Climbing Standards Level 1 certification is required to scale the outdoor walls. There is no minimum age or height requirement for the indoor bouldering gym but younger kids must be accompanied by an adult.

Those who are not qualified can try the 15m-high Canopy Sky Walk nestled among the greenery instead, which is open from Fridays to Sundays. Kids have to be at least eight years old or 1.1m in height.

Or take a break from climbing and check out other activities, such as laser and archery tag, in the Safra clubhouse.

Climb Central

Given Singapore’s sweltering weather, the facility’s air-conditioned venue is a big draw for both seasoned climbers and beginners.

The 1,000 sq m space is perfect for newbies to try out climbing as no certification is required to scale more than half of the 46 lanes.

They can climb after a 15-minute safety briefing, thanks to an easy-to-use set-up where the belay device is mounted on the ground. Children have to be at least five years old, weigh more than 20kg and stand over 1.1m.

There are 13 auto-belay lanes for those who prefer to go solo.

The walls range in height from 4m for bouldering to 12m for toprope and 16m for the lead walls.

There are more concise introductory programmes for children and adults who are interested to find out more about climbing techniques and safety systems.

Onsight Climbing

Expect to see hardcore climbers at this 7,000 sq ft indoor climbing gym, which is dedicated to those who have at least a Singapore National Climbing Standards Level 1 certification and are hungry for tougher challenges.

All types of indoor climbing are available here: top-rope on 8m walls, lead on 14m walls and speed on 15m walls, which is a race against the clock to the top and mostly used by competitive climbers.

The highlight for experienced climbers are the 11 lanes in the lead-wall zone, where only those with a Level 2 certification can enter.

There is also a substantial bouldering space that ranges in difficulty from amateur to advanced. Children have to be at least five years old and must be accompanied by an adult.

Climbers can condition their bodies at a training zone equipped with pull-up bars, wooden rungs to improve strength in the fingers and arms as well as finger boards to work on gripping.

Housed in the former Singapore Badminton Hall, the space has tiered stadium decks for climbers to rest and watch others.

]]>5 ways to discipline children without caning or hittinghttps://www.youngparents.com.sg/development/5-ways-discipline-children-without-caning-or-hitting/
Tue, 19 Feb 2019 17:42:03 +0000https://www.youngparents.com.sg/development/5-ways-discipline-children-without-caning-or-hitting/You can raise a disciplined child without resorting to caning or other physical punishment. Our expert shows you 5 ways to do this.

3. Explain why the behaviour is unacceptable

For example, if she throws a tantrum because she does not want to do her homework, find out why. After that, go through with her the possible scenarios that will happen because of that. For instance: “Oh, then you can’t get another lovely star from your teacher, right?”

4. Do it over

This is like role-play. If the child whines “Give me a drink! I’m thirsty!”, you can reply: “That was not a polite way to ask – do it over”. This gives the child an opportunity to think about her earlier behaviour and choose a more appropriate approach.

Geraldine Tan, chief psychologist with The Therapy Room, has worked with parents who use the cane “as a last resort”. Here is her advice on when to cane or not:

DON’T

When you are angry. The child only sees that you have lost control of the situation, and fails tounderstand why she is punished. The mistake is, therefore, very likely to occur again, leading to further confusion and a vicious cycle.

When you try to instil fear The child will begin to view aggression as the only solution to problems. She will also grow up angry and rebellious.

DO
Explain the reason for the punishment The child needs to understand why she is being punished, and why with the cane.

Ensure consistency. Establish an agreement with your spouse, parents and the child’s caregiver on the consistency of the caning. For example, if he throws a tantrum, he will receive a scolding. If he pushes a classmate, he will be caned. Otherwise, the child will learn not to respect caning as a form of discipline.

Only when you can control the intensity of the force Avoid using a belt or a whip, or an item that you feel may inflict great pain.

]]>These Singapore mums create home learning activities for their kids: Here’s how they do ithttps://www.youngparents.com.sg/education/these-singapore-mums-create-home-learning-activities-for-their-kids-heres-how-they-do-it/
Tue, 19 Feb 2019 16:57:41 +0000http://www.youngparents.com.sg/?p=38510For some parents, sending their young children to preschool is not enough. For them, learning continues at home almost daily – after their children return from school and before they go to bed. Parents here who are proponents of home learning say the practice has been growing in recent years, as more people document their […]

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For some parents, sending their young children to preschool is not enough. For them, learning continues at home almost daily – after their children return from school and before they go to bed.

Parents here who are proponents of home learning say the practice has been growing in recent years, as more people document their activities on social media platforms.

Detractors say they are being “kiasu”. ButWhile home-learning parents say their objective is not to make their children smarter. Instead, they want to expose them to a sensory-rich learning environment where they learn through play and learning is fun.

To facilitate such an environment, they parents consider their children’s interests. Then, spend time and effort coming up with interesting, hands-on activities based on a chosen theme.

At times, they choose topics and create activities that help to build confidence in their children. This could be in areas that the young ones are observed to be weak in, or matters that their children are fearful of, such as dentistry (ahead of the child’s first trip to the dentist).

Home-learning parents also say they enjoy the process of planning the activities, as well as doing the activities with their children.

Former teacher sees her kids as students

Housewife Jacinth Liew’s (pictured above) home-learning activities with her two young children are fun and colourful, and could engage even adults because of how interesting they are.

The best part? They do not cost much, says the 31-year-old.

Her learning tools are everyday items such as paints, beans, trays and scoops. She buys many many of them either online from sites such as Taobao and Amazon or from shops such as Daiso and Ikea. The items generally cost less than $10 each and some of them have lasted her for years, she says.

The mother of two started home-learning activities shortly after her first child was born in 2014. But what she did then was “very random”, she confesses.

“At that time, there was no learning objective, theme or organisation to what we did. ”

Sharing her knowledge

With the growth of social media platforms in recent years, however, she got to know other like-minded parents. Through their posts and her own research, she started to learn how to structure activities for preschoolers.

These days, her activities are grouped by themes, each of which covers areas including literacy, craft, sensory play and Stem (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) learning.

Under Stem, she enjoys conducting visually engaging experiments with her children – Daryl, four, and Charlotte, 18 months. Her husband, 32, is a bank employee.

One example of such an experiment that is also simple to execute is the “Skittles Experiment”. It involves pouring warm water over the hard sweets after they have been arranged in a circle.

Within minutes, the colour runs from the candies and the result is a beautiful pinwheel of colours, thanks to diffusion.

Another example is the “Magic Milk Experiment”. Drops of food colouring are added into a tray awash with milk. Then, she asks her children to use cotton buds – which have been dipped in dishwashing liquid – to gently touch the surface of the milk. Because of the chemical reaction between the soap and milk fat, the colours begin to separate and swirl outwards.

Ms Liew says: “Both experiments will not fail to amaze children. It’s all about science, but to them, it’s magic.”

In 2016, she set up Instagram and Facebook accounts, @ourlittleplaynest, to document her ideas and activities. Over time, the account has developed from a personal log to one that is now focused on sharing with parents how they can connect with their children through play.

“I want to let parents know that what I do is not rocket science. It’s what every parent can do,” says Ms Liew. “The activities don’t cost a lot and don’t require a lot of preparation time.”

While she spends about an hour or so daily reading up on what to do and creating her lesson plans, the actual activities can each be executed in just five to 10 minutes.

The former secondary school teacher says she misses her teaching days.

“My children are my students now,” she says. “I don’t need them to be smart, but I do these activities in the hope that they will love learning and always ask questions about everything.”

Activities are a way to gauge kid’s interest and skills

The home-learning lesson plans for their children may sound intimidating. There are learning objectives that encompass everything from literature and mathematics to personal and physical development, as well as expressive arts, design and understanding the world.

But mothers Tiffany Lim (pictured far right), 29, and Sylvia Lye (pictured far left), 31, say it is all about engaging the senses and having fun in the process.

Mrs Lim, a secondary school teacher, says some parents have asked her: “Why do you try to teach your children so much?”

To which she replies: “It’s not about being kiasu (the fear of losing out), but about learning through play and having fun.”

Mrs Lye, a housewife, agrees. “I wish I were my own child, getting to do all these activities when I was growing up.”

She adds that planning the homelearning activities helps make her time as a stay-home mother “fruitful and meaningful”.

“My daughter is learning things in school, but it’s easy to just let the days go by. In this way, I am spending meaningful time with her, helping to scaffold her learning.”

Beneath the mothers’ academics ounding, broad-based learning objectives is also a belief that whatever they do should engage their children’s five senses.

For instance, ideas for a Chinese New Year theme included reading books to their children on the festival, teaching them about zodiac signs, letting them smell and peel oranges, crafting their own Chinese drum as well as baking cookies.

Mrs Lim adds that to encourage sensory play, she runs sensory baths for her children.

Apart from toys, slices of fruit, flower petals and pandan leaves are sometimes thrown into the mix, depending on the learning theme.

She encourages her children to smell, touch and play with the items as they bathe.

The two friends, who met when they were students at Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts, have three children aged from two to four between them and are behind the home-learning Instagram account @2mamas4kids, which they set up in March 2016 and where they share their activities.

They try to be authentic in their posts by showcasing not only activities they did successfully, but also those that did not work.

Mrs Lim says: “We don’t want parents to have a ‘try once and must succeed’ kind of mentality.

“Sometimes, the child is not interested or not ready to do a certain activity and that’s fine. Wait and try again some time later.”

In the process of executing their activities, they are able to see what their children are good at and what they enjoy – or do not enjoy – doing.

From there, they try to change or tweak activities to encourage their children to tackle activities that may not play to their strengths.

The two mothers are committed to home learning for now, noting that children’s interests will change and develop as they grow.

Mrs Lye says: “This period is but for a season. I want to make the best use of my time to learn alongside her in her early years, while I have the energy to do so.”

Fun, bonding time for family

To any parent who thinks preparing home-learning activities is tiresome and difficult, Ms Lim Sing Yun, 37, has this to say: It is not.

The mother of two sons aged four and two would know, having done it for close to a year.

By trawling through the Internet and social media platforms, she has found free printables on myriad topics from the solar system to dinosaurs, which appeal to her children.

“There are a lot of people creating these materials who are happy to offer them online for free,” says Ms Lim, who works as an in-house legal counsel.

She simply prints what she wants to use, which saves her the effort of creating her own materials.

She usually comes up with a learning theme for her children, so that it gives her a focal point when searching for materials. She also supplements the planned activities with library books on her desired theme.

The family usually does these activities after dinner. “It’s part of family bonding,” says Ms Lim, whose 38-year-old husband works in a German chemicals company.

She puts together her ideas after her children go to bed. The preparation process is fun for her and it gives her something meaningful to do “rather than surfing social media aimlessly” after the kids are asleep.

Last April, she started an Instagram account, @playfull.sg, to document her home-learning activities with her children. “It’s a form of memory keeping. It’s nice to look back on what we’ve done together and to communicate with a community of like-minded parents,” she says.

“Dinosaur Egg” is an activity she says is a hit with her children. She learnt about it from another home-learning parent’s Instagram account.

The activity entails stuffing a plastic dinosaur figurine into a deflated balloon and then filling up the balloon with water. After this is done, the balloon is tied up and put in a freezer. When the water turns to ice, the parent can cut away the balloon skin and what is left is a dinosaur “trapped” in an “ice egg”.

The child is presented with the frozen egg and his objective is to melt the ice and “rescue” the dinosaur.

To keep her children occupied with the same activity for a longer duration, Ms Lim usually freezes several such eggs at one go.

“I’m happy to see that such simple activities can keep my children purposefully engaged,” she says. “I feel that I’m giving them new toys each time, without actually having to buy something new.”

]]>Top 12 places to find kid-friendly furniture in Singaporehttps://www.youngparents.com.sg/family/top-places-find-kid-friendly-furniture-singapore/
Tue, 19 Feb 2019 16:23:10 +0000http://www.youngparents.com.sg/?p=42127Deer Industries This one-stop shop features an extensive range of European-designed baby and kids’ furniture, as well as bedding and decor items. The furniture, which includes beds, cots and cribs, dressers and wardrobes, desks, vanities, bookshelves, playpens, armchairs and side tables, is functional and sophisticated, and made from high-quality, durable materials. With streamlined, minimalist designs, […]

This one-stop shop features an extensive range of European-designed baby and kids’ furniture, as well as bedding and decor items.

The furniture, which includes beds, cots and cribs, dressers and wardrobes, desks, vanities, bookshelves, playpens, armchairs and side tables, is functional and sophisticated, and made from high-quality, durable materials.

HipVan

This online retailer specialises in affordable, stylish furniture for the entire home.

The kids’ furniture range includes all kinds of beds (single, bunk, trundle and sleigh), tables and chairs, and drawer and storage units. They come from brands like Malmo, Ni-Night, Life Balance by Serta, and Liliewoods.

For the creative child, there’s the Mizuki Kid’s Table ($39.90) or the Wynona Activity Table ($146.60). Pair these with the Layla Chair ($73.30) or a cute beanbag.

Beds are priced from $149. It keeps prices low because there’s no retail store, so it passes savings on to the customer. The furniture is ideal for children aged two years and older.

Cuckoo Little Lifestyle Store

This lifestyle boutique stocks unique furniture and accessories from all over the world. Its Oliver furniture collection is ideal for babies and children of all ages. Think cots, cradles, single beds, loft beds, bunk beds, desk-and-chair sets, nursery dressers, wardrobes and shelving units. These are all in crisp white, giving them that timeless, easy-to-match quality.

In addition, you will find canopies that you can install over your child’s existing bed or in the corner of a room to create a cosy reading nook.

If you’re looking for a fun item for your tot’s bedroom, you can’t beat the tepee play tents. These are are handmade from cotton and come in a variety of colours. The cots and beds are priced from under $1,000 to about $4,000.

D’Chloe

If your little one longs for a racing car-shaped bed or a bed like a princess’ carriage, this place stocks it. It also stocks complementary nightstands, wardrobes, dressers, wall cabinets and desk-and-chair sets.

You’ll also find products that fit various themes. The themes includes playground, flower, dinosaurs, ocean and panda, and beds with storage options for rooms with limited space.

The bunk beds are priced from about $1,200 to $2,660, and are suitable for preschoolers to young teens.

Flexa

This range is developed by designers, child development advisors and technical experts. Each product from this Scandinavian brand is safe, functional, beautiful to look at, and made to improve your child’s life in some way.

If you’re looking for space-saving furniture, check out Flexa’s new, award-winning Popsicle. It is a collection of modular beds, desks, wardrobes, chairs, and interiors.

The range is available in three soothing pastel shades – green, blue and pink. And it is the brainchild of a Danish design team called Herman Studio, and crafted from premium solid wood. Popsicle beds are priced from $1,430 to $8,099.

Kids Haven

If you’re after a themed bedroom for Junior, head to Kids Haven for some fun ideas. This one-stop kids’ furniture shop sells a variety of beds. Such beds include pull-out ones to loft, double-deck and modular beds, designed across a range of themes like safari, dinosaur, fairies, princess and cars.

You can also customise a bed if you want something specific. Simply browse the store’s catalogue and choose from a range of colours, designs and dimensions.

Kids Haven sells Matrix, a furniture system from the US. The system is based on components that can be configured (and reconfigured) any way you like. This way, you can create the perfect bedroom for your child many times over throughout her childhood. A simple modular bed is priced from $588, while a themed double-deck bed can set you back about $1,400.

Danish Design Co

Elegant, high-quality furniture from top Danish and Scandinavian design houses is what you’ll find here.

Its kids’ range is extensive, with wood-crafted tables, chairs, bunk beds, and dressers, all from Denmark’s Oliver Furniture. The contemporary pieces are mostly white and will suit any style of bedroom.

Ibenma

Ibenma specialises in products crafted from solid Finnish pinewood and other materials. The products conform to European safety standards.

It has a good range of modular beds, which can be reconfigured for every stage of your child’s life. Most of the bed designs also feature built-in drawers, cabinets and desks. This is ideal if you’re trying to save space or if you don’t want to purchase too many products.

If you’re after a standout piece for Junior’s bedroom, check out the eye-catching range of beanbag sofas and stools. A basic single bed (modular series) starts from $648, and a basic bunk bed (modular series) starts from $1,348.

Kuhl Home

Kuhl Home has an excellent range of kids’ bedroom furniture from Lifetime Kidsrooms.

It is handcrafted in Denmark from high-quality, solid pine wood. The Lifetime Kidsrooms bed system allows you to convert any children’s bed into a single bed, ensuring long-term usage well into your little one’s teenage years.

The beds are free of toxic materials and tested to meet the highest European safety standards. Its range includes unique and themed designs, from a bunk bed with a slide and a Camp Canyon Tent Bed, to a cabin-style Hangout Bed and a Treehouse Hut Bed. They’re ideal for children aged up to 11 years. Prices start from $1,000.

Junior Suites

This place stocks everything you could possibly want for your little one’s dream bedroom, including single beds and space-saving bunk beds, chests of drawers, dressers, wardrobes and desks.

The designs are fun and playful yet functional, and suitable for children aged five years and older.

If you’re looking to give your young one a themed bedroom suite, you’ll find some fancy designs here. Examples include the pretty Dream Castle collection and the colourful Cloud 9 and Circles of Life collections.

Piccolo House

Its modular beds are ideal if you want to customise the perfect sleep and storage solution for your child’s room. Simply purchase the one bed and then add components to turn it into a poster bed, bunk bed, loft bed, or even two single beds.

You’ll also find space-saving toddler beds to help make your baby’s transition from cot to proper bed easy and fuss-free. Plus, other essential pieces like chests and wardrobes, bookcases, beanbags and chairs.

Piccolo House sells kids’ furniture, bedding and accessories from Great Little Trading Co, an award-winning brand from the UK.

The Kids Carpenter

Do you have a particular design that you’d like to bring to life, or are you after something quirky or unique?

This home-grown woodworking business was launched in 2014 by a second-generation carpentry business owner. And it specialises in custom-made furniture for kids of all ages.

All you need is to show it a photo of what you want to replicate. And the team of local carpenters will do their best to make the item for you from scratch, using high-quality materials and paints.

If you don’t have any ideas of your own, you can always customise something from its existing collection. Prices start from $500 for a changing table, $1,000 for a trundle bed, and $1,800 for a loft bed.

]]>Eating out with toddler: 10 ways to get him to behave without tablets and phoneshttps://www.youngparents.com.sg/pregnancy-baby/how-enjoy-restaurant-meal-toddler/
Tue, 19 Feb 2019 01:00:28 +0000We have 10 tips on how you can get your young kid to behave at restaurants – without giving her your smartphone or tablet.

As soon as you arrive at the restaurant, your little one gets fidgety and tears up the menu. Or perhaps you’re only halfway through your plate of nasi biryani before he flings his sippy cup at an unlucky diner.

He can’t quite grasp the concept of having to sit and wait (any duration is always much too long for him). But you don’t want to resort to keeping him occupied with your tablet or smartphone.

Here, 10 parents with young kids share with Young Parents how they enjoy a peaceful meal.

One trick at a time

“Our boy loves to eat on his own, so self-feeding is the best entertainment. But when he’s done with his food and we’re not, that’s when other tricks come in – ice in cups can keep him busy for 10 minutes, straws for five more, pen and paper for a further five. And, by then, one of us would be done with our meal and can let him out of the high chair.”– Jelyn Chew, stay-home mum

Cutlery fun

“We draw faces with different expressions on disposable spoons and ask him which one is happy, sad and angry. He also enjoys playing ‘pretend food’ – we cut them out using colour paper or foam – on his plate. The good thing is this simple game lets him play quietly and not disturb other diners. But it can be tricky when we’re eating at alfresco, windy places.”– Evelyn Ng-Kway, stay-home mum

Time for science

“I like to make use of items on the table to entertain my kids, such as making a hand puppet with a serviette. When I put sugar cubes in hot tea, I take the chance to teach about solids and liquids.”– Winnie Lee, educator

Form a band

“Whenever we eat out, we usually try to keep our youngest busy with baby biscuits, teethers and toys. But she loses interest quickly, so we’ve to make up ‘new playthings’ for her – plastic bowls and spoons become a drum set and two sauce plates become clappers. That helps keep her occupied for a while and, well, at least allow one parent to finish the meal and take her for a walk.”– Summer Goh, stay-home mum

Lace them up

“I punch holes into the back covers of magazines at home and take these out. When we’re at restaurants, the kids have fun lacing them with strings and creating different shapes. We also have small number cards that we use to do one-to-one correspondence counting with anything on the table, from their drinks to French fries. Writing the numbers on napkins works just as well.”– Nadia Cheong, stay-home mum

Guess what?

“The magnetic drawing board is a lifesaver. We start off by drawing objects that he’s able to identify – apple, ball, flower and so on – and ask him to guess. He also loves to doodle on it.”– Dennis Wee, analyst

Expel some energy

“We let the kids run around a bit outside the restaurant before the food arrives at the table, but part of the deal is that they have to sit down once it comes. Naomi usually tries to self-feed part of her meal, but when she loses interest, we’ll take out crayons and a notebook for her to scribble in, or some books for her to read.”– Vera Ong, stay-home mum

Sort your greens

“I always bring some mixed vegetables out, put them in a feeding bowl with compartments, and let my son sort out the peas, carrots and corn. He loves the activity, and the veggies get eaten quickly, too.”– Lindy Koh, operations manager

More fruits

“My bag is usually packed with drawing paper, crayons and markers. Sometimes I’ll pack some cut fruits from home to keep Javier busy while waiting for our meal to be served. These also help banish hunger pangs.”– June Yong, investor relations consultant